A Rescue and a little Revenge

What?:

The blood mage sat in his personal stealth airship as it sailed through the skies. The entire thing looked like a black long ship. The oars poking out the sides helped the ship make tight turns. They acted like wings in a sense. The sail opened wide to absorb the magical particles in the air and lift the ship from the ground. There were a few ballista sitting upon the upper deck. Metal plates covered the outside, magicked to reflect the sky above it. Until one attacked, the ship was essentially invisible. Kyran also had a self guiding auto pilot installed. Thought, if need be, he could also fly - well land - the ship.

Unfortunately, his mind was too occupied to really enjoy the new air ship. It was time to bring the pain down upon his brother. Time to rescue his daughter from Gruen's clutches. Kyran wasn't sure if it would be possible however. He was on his way to pick up Yona aka Briar. They couldn't go into this as official members of the West Fiore Trading Company. Instead they were heading into this mission as members of Onyx Moon, the dark side of WFTC. It added another restriction upon them which was what had Kyran worried. They had to do this with Onyx Moon members only. As the others were tied up with Gruen's other black site laboratories, it would be only the two of them assaulting this lab. Considering that Gruen spared no expenses in defenses of these labs and there was no telling what was within, Kyran didn't have much hope in beating everything.

His mood was the result of looking at the mask in his hands. The last time he'd put it on, his hands had been painted red with blood. He'd become a monster again. There was an inate fear that if he gave into the monster here, there wouldn't be no return. Kyran Dyer, fiance of Gaia Sabin, Employee of the West Fiore Trading Company, Blood Mage, wielder of Salvator Alitis might disappear forever. In his place would stand a monster that wished nothing but destruction, would strive for nothing but ruin. This fear, one he'd long thought conquered, had plagued his dreams of late. When the dust settled after this mission and the fires burned out, what would be left of the man that was here now? Would there even be a man left?

Eae gently touched the forefront of his mind. Relax, Master Kyran. This fretting does not become you. You are not your blood, nor are you a monster. She murmured trying to comfort him. The demons were staying quiet near the back of his mind. They knew pushing him too far now could result in the end of them all. A mistake here would go well into killing Kyran. The blood mage grimaced at the angel's words. He stood up turning the mask in his hands. "I'm worried about what will remain of me when all is said and done, Eae. Not of what I am now. Nothing and no one may escape that laboratory today. I will kill and I know not what state I'll find my daughter in. What that might do to me is what scares me." He put the mask up to his face.

The change was instant this time, transforming him into a horned monster. HIs bleach white skin was marked with black in several places and a great hole stood out in the center of his chest. No one could recognize him like this. Pulling out his iLac, the blood mage shot Yona a message. He was almost there to pick her up. His message included an ominous message to 'Bring her mask'. Kyran had told her of his plan sometime earlier. She was one of the only OM members he knew about. He'd outlined his broad plan before saying he'd need her assistance in personally taking down one of the laboratories. Kyran hadn't mentioned he'd need her for emotional support too. Depending on how they found his daughter, Kyran wanted someone nearby to either rein him in or give him a shoulder to lean on. Maybe both if the situation required it.

Kyran made his way to the deck as his ship flew in low. He'd already given his OM pass codes to allow the ship into Tolgalen airspace.  It would be embarrassing to have his brand new airship be shot down by allied fire. As the ship came to a stop, Kyran stepped onto the boarding platform. It was merely a large circle with four large lacrima on every side. It moved toward the ground swiftly. Kyran looked around for Yona.

Are you sure this is how you want to approach this? Medea questioned. Kyran nodded briefly wondering at the cat. Was she getting cold feet? She'd been raring to go earlier. We don't need that plant mage. We could wreck the entire place by ourselves! Kyran laughed, a chilling rattling sound in his current form. That was what the demon was so worried about. She wanted to do this whole mission by herself. That was more in line with what he expected. "We wouldn't come out the other side alive, Medea, and you know it. We aren't powerful enough to take on an entire well defended, potentially horror filled laboratory."[/i]

The blood mage raised a hand when he spotted Yona. "Briar." He called, trying to keep up appearances. "Nice to finally meet you. Shall we be on our way? The night is short and we have much to do." He gestured to the platform under his feet. Once she was standing on it, they would be able to ascend. That was assuming she didn't take a more creative way onto the ship. "My name is Miles Nocte." Kyran said once she was close enough for him to speak normally. There was a subtle beat of his heart, a slight warming of the cold that had enveloped him. They may not make it out tonight but he'd have an ally by his side. Gruen would know the night was no longer a safe place. The shadows would reach for him until he was finally brought down. In the event they did manage to make it out alive, Kyran hoped they would be standing over Gruen's corpse with Key's daughter safe in hand. Yona, in other words, kindled a bit of hope against the depression that had pressed against Kyran's mind.

WC: 1082
@Yona

Yona Hisamori sat cross legged outside of the WFTC headquarters, elbows resting on her knees as her body hunched into a smaller form. The short woman with cropped green hair looked practically child like in this position, but she was given no mind by passersby. She was fairly well known to locals and certainly to the WFTC members. She sat there with her left thumbnail pressed into her lower lip, sliding the sharp edge back and forth in a nervous motion. Yona held her iLac in her right hand and her eyes were glued to the small dark screen, waiting for it to light up. She was nervous, but not nervous for her own sake. The MindReaver had yet to make his move against her and she had been forced to meet with him the day prior. Yona had given him some excuse and some useless information but she knew at this point that she was only prolonging in the inevitable collapse of a relationship with either the MindReaver, which would be so dangerous, or with Kyran, which seemed more so. Now was not the time to talk to Kyran about the mysterious illusionist, not when his daughter was in danger.

Yona was nervous because despite everything on her mind and going on, the life of a girl was at risk. She hadn't known that Kyran had a daughter, but considering how close she was to Sato, it wasn't hard to empathize with him. Understanding the reason why he had been so distant or sharp lately was incredibly clear with the knowing of his daughter being at risk. Yona was glad to support Kyran, even to lay her life down to help protect his daughter and bring her back to him. What was nerve wracking for the plant mage was knowing the demons in his head and his emotional control was always seemingly better than her's, but not necessarily so. Yona had gone to him for advice about Ketsueki, having experienced a few of his demons up close. What if his demons took control and got him killed? What if they got his daughter killed? What if something had already happened to her? Yona would do anything for her dear friend, but if her friend vanished in the place of some sort of demon, like the one obsessed with violence, Yona would have to fight him. She would have to stop him. She would have to find some way to bring him back to himself. Yona bit on her thumbnail and breathed out a loud sigh of relief when Kyran's message came through.

It read to bring her mask and she let out a short laugh as she got to her feet. Of course, she had her mask already. With the MindReaver, she had never had the chance to hide her identity. In this situation, it seemed only to make sense to keep her identity and the WFTC separate from what she was about to do. "Could just let me drive for awhile," Ketsueki chimed in her mind, venturing to see if she would let the vampiric demon have control of her body. It would be as effective as her mask, but she was not going to let Ketsueki, who was so reckless, have such freedom unless it was necessary. "Not unless I have to," She told him, speaking out loud and softly. She had said those words to him plenty of times before and as always the demon gave her a snarl of annoyance in reply. It occurred to her as she made her way to the large black airship and the landing circle below that she didn't even know Kyran's girl's name. It hadn't seemed important but now giving the girl a name made it something much more wort fighting for.

Other members were on similar missions, going after the other labs in control by this "Gruen". Yona thought it was a smart measure to take given that information could always end up being false and Gruen was so untrustworthy and dangerous, there was nothing that said he might have surprises for them and the other members of the guild at the labs. Along the way, Yona slipped into a tiny alley, ensuring that nobody would see her, and slid her copper metal mask upon her pale face. The mask had an air filter within just in case but it helped in modifying her voice as well. Instead of sounding like her usual self, she sounded more like her mother, a sophisticated and smooth tone of voice. When she approached the landing, an unfamiliar figure greeted her with a raised hand. "Briar. Nice to finally meet you. Shall we be on our way? The night is short and we have much to do." As they ascended onto his airship, she gave a nod of her head.

"Miles Nocte. Nice." Her lips twisted under the mask, trying to find words. How could she tell him she was there for him. Looking at his extreme change in appearance, she wondered what he might do in a rage, what he might do if he became a broken man before her eyes. Trying to be upbeat or keep the topic light felt forced so she decided to just say less. "We do have lots to do, don't we?" She looked over the airship as she stepped onto the deck, "This is nice. Next time, you got to take me out for a drink. It's been a while since we just chatted." The idea of going back to the night of drinking wine and sitting on the docks after their job together, so long ago, just seemed silly. But she felt her chest relax at the image. It was the first time they had really connected together and it reminded her of how she touched the scars he had shown her, and how she had shown him her own scarred legs. It was an image that reminded her that they weren't so different. Yona looked up at him wondering if he was thinking the same, wondering if he was at all consoled by her presence and knowing that she would be his physical and emotional support here. She shook her head slightly as she looked away, running a hand over the railing of the ship. There was no way she could imagine what he was thinking but she didn't doubt he had asked her to join him specifically because of their close friendship.

Her vibrant green eyes had turned silver and her shortened light green hair lengthened again. Yona stretched her arms and tied the now forest green tresses up into a long tail. A dark stone blue hood overlay her shoulders, waiting if she needed it. Her loose flowing pants were the same shade of stone blue as were the pair of elbow-length fingerless gloves, and an ornate top that looked like a cross between bikini wear and blue-green leaves. Of course, she wore comfortable fitted ankle boots, she never seemed to wear anything else, but for sake of difference they were the color of smoke instead of her usual brown or white. Yona blinked her silver eyes and moved to place a hand on Kyran, breaking the quiet between them. "Don't be afraid. I never lose a fight. Together, we can do this. Once we're on the way, you'll have to tell me the full plan."

WC: 1252

Kyran barely was able to acknowledge Yona's words. This was difficult for him. Putting one person he cared about in danger to help another. The ship began to rise again having collected its intended cargo. Kyran stood at the railing of his ship looking down upon WFTC HQ. Would this be the last time he saw it? Yona's hand nearly made the blood mage jump. His focus came down on her. Her change in appearance was noted thought Kyran dismissed it. Under the new look, it was still Yona. Her words confirmed it.

The redhead heaved a heavy sigh. "How can I not be afraid? I'm heading up against the monster of my childhood with less than ideal numbers. Not only that, I must rescue my daughter before I can deal with Gruen which give him the chance to escape and live another day." Medea hissed at that. The cat demon saw this whole endeavor as a challenge. We are not letting him escape. Fat and ugly can wet his pants while we burn his tree house to the ground." Kyran didn't point out the issues with that statement. Medea was too worked up to listen to logic. "Its not about losing, Yo- Briar. It's about the degree of winning. I've lost a lot already. Gruen can snatch this victory from my hands quite easily." He switched names quickly lest there was a listening device somewhere or magic being used.

The monster that was now Kyran shook his head. His thoughts needed to be clear. The ship had climbed high enough to start on the way to Divide Island where the lab was. Twilight twinkled at them from the horizon. That worried Kyran. Would they still have the cover of night by the time they reached their destination? Turning away from the railing, Kyran clapped his hands. A table slowly rose from the deck. The blood mage led Yona over to it. At top the table was a magical three dimensional image of the laboratory. Kyran would have to repay the favor it'd taken to get hands on this. That was something to be worried about later though. "This is our target." He said waving a hand over the whole thing.

"There are two places that Gruen could be holding my daughter." Kyran pointed out two steel colored boxes on the map. "Both are essentially heavy duty vaults. Sneaking into them is impossible. Though since the plan is to destroy the place, that doesn't really matter. We'll enter here." He pointed at the western side of the map. There was no visible door on that side. "We'll be making our own way in. From there, its scorched earth policy." Kyran raised his eyes to meet Yona's. "Nothing and no one we see can get out, Briar. Everything - everyone - besides my daughter disappears with that building tonight. We can't take any chances. There is no telling what Gruen has had that lab create. Though..." Kyran thought back to the mission that brought all this about. There had been a peculiar creature that was probably a result of Gruen's experiments. "Most of it will probably involve something regarding crystals." Kyran turned back toward the map. His finger drifted through the image. There was no direct route to either of the steel colored boxes he'd pointed out earlier.

"I guess we make our way from there. Once we're inside it'll be chaos so any further planning is useless. We work together to get to each vault." Kyran looked up at his partner. He put a hand on her shoulder. There was something he needed to say before they got there. "Thank you for this. However, if you get injured severely at any point, you run. I don't care if we have my daughter or you think you can continue. You leave, we rendezvous at the ship. No arguments. I won't risk your life for my daughter's. That defeats the whole purpose of what I'm doing here." Something niggled at his mind. He'd forgotten something important. Something that was needed on this mission. When he remembered, Kyran snapped his monstrous fingers. "Oh!"

He kicked a panel on the deck next to him. Another platform rose. This one had some sort of equipment on it. "These are cameras. Use them to record everything inside the laboratory. I'll need it for our client's use in his case against Gruen. Try not to show your face or mine to the camera if it can be helped at all." He handed one of the devices to Yona. It was a small box mounted on a harness of sorts. The harness was a mess of straps that clearly allowed the camera to be mounted anywhere someone liked. Kyran put his around his waist, the camera set over his hip. "They shouldn't break but if they do salvage the recording lacrima. We only need so much footage but try to record everything. You never know what the client will need to seal the case on Gruen." It felt a little weird to be talking about himself in the third person. However, Kyran didn't want anyone to connect Miles Nocte to himself. It would bring danger down upon not only Gaia but also the WFTC. He'd caused WFTC enough issues as it was.

"Don't underestimate our opponent, Briar. He's cunning, ruthless and has less of a heart than any soulless beast." His eyes flickered toward her legs. His mouth pulled into a hard line. "Don't be surprised if he uses the worst days you've ever had against you. He isn't above it." Kyran walked away from the table to let Yona look at it. He made his way back over to the railing. The sea was flying by below them. It was exhilarating and Kyran was sure they'd get there fairly soon. Then the real fun would begin on this journey.

WC: 983
Total: 2,065

Yona lifted up the stone blue hood until it covered the top and sides of her head, drawing it far down so that her face was only visible to her partner. It helped to shield her from the cold wind up here in the sky but it was built to do more than that. It was an added protection against any spies noticing her, the woman having grown seriously paranoid since the day she had met with the MindReaver. When Kyran asked her how he could not be afraid, she had bitten her lower lip to keep from speaking. Frankly, the situation was frightening for any rational being or creature or person. Fear was useful information in itself, and it was useful in helping a person's memory and alertness. In this case, however, fear might be just as unhelpful given that a person acting out of fear might make more mistakes. Yona stepped over to the map without replying to him because either way she didn't have anything useful to say.

Yona watched as Kyran gestured to the steel boxes on the map, calling them heavy duty vaults. When he said that it didn't matter if they could sneak into the vaults, Yona made a small face of displeasure. In her own opinion, perhaps having the information sooner, they could have devised a way to complete such a task. The safety and reclamation of his daughter was the priority objective here, but Yona had no reason to say so. If she didn't trust Key, then she wouldn't be risking her life for him and his plan. Kyran wanted to burst in and create a door on the western wall of the lab, destroying everything with the exception of his daughter of course. That would not be an ethical problem for the plant mage, but still she didn't understand why it was such an importance until he explained that Gruen used the lab and crystals to create something dangerous. "All this destruction and killing sound nice. You'll let me out this time, won't you? I've been such a good demon boy," Ketsueki crooned inside of her mind. Yona retorted in her own thoughts, "You've behaved for like a week. You'll come out when I say so."

Yona scratched her cheek looking the map over, trailing her middle finger over possible routes from the western side to the different vaults in the building. "What do you think is in there, besides your daughter? Is Gruen fashioning a weapon? Is he building an army?" The questions were valid and relevant, and the guild mage added, "You don't need to worry about me destroying the place. I have some experience now, considering how Jo- well, uh, considering how I went to Shadow Island and helped put down an entire organization of evil mages." It was also true, but not worth mentioning, that that same mission she went on with Johann had resulted in her near death and in having a demon forcibly sealed into her body through the use of some sort of ancient runic magic. The fact was that nobody left there alive besides the Onyx Moon members who had arrived in the first place. "I remember that day well," The demon's voice sounded like air being sucked through a vaccuum, "The day I met you. You were so weak, I was just insulted. Still am, still am..." Yona awaited Kyran's answer and then listened as he thanked her, ignoring Ketsueki's taunts with practiced disinterest.

When Kyran said that she needed to run if injured, Yona's expression became steely. Although her voice was sophisticated, her words were undoubtedly still that of the emotional plant mage he knew so well. "You're not risking my life, I am. I make the choice on what I do. I'm not going to be stupid or suicidal here, but I am here to help and I am here to finish this job right. Besides, I am much more powerful than you know now and I am not as much in risk as you think." She felt like he was underestimating her ability, since it had been some time since they had worked together last. She had grown greatly in power since the last time they had done a job and now, even if Gruen was dangerous, Yona felt she was equally so. Yona had helped take on a dozen sea serpents at a strong disadvantage with only one other guild mage present. At least this job was on actual ground and she was starting off on the offensive. When Kyran said no arguments, she frowned but did as he said with annoyance in her tone. "Fine, no arguments." Arguing took up precious time anyway and she had no desire to actual do so with her friend. She let out a small sigh and accepted the strange box device Kyran passed to her.

Yona saw the way he attached it to his waist, resting on his hip, and did the same. It was a good place for the recording device. "I'll record everything possible if it's so important to the client. Don't worry about that," She gave him a reassuring smile and then looked down at the device. Once it was secured, she ran her fingers over it finding the place where the lacrima nestled into the box, making sure she knew how to remove it if necessary. As her hands deftly dealt with this, she heard Kyran's voice take a serious tone and lifted her eyes to meet his. She then followed his eyes to her scarred legs and looked flushed. The person responsible for the demise of her family and those scars was still out there somewhere. It wasn't as big a weakness for her, now that she had Sato back in her life. But that wouldn't mean it wouldn't hurt to have a stranger try to use the event against her. Yona's hands fell from the device and touched her legs thoughtfully. "Oh hey now, don't worry. If you start to get all upset, I'll just come out and tear the guy's windpipe from his neck. That would cheer you up, right?" Ketsueki prompted, and Yona didn't doubt that he was serious even if his voice was taking a cheerful and taunting tone. "No, demon. That would cheer you up. I'm not like you," Yona returned in her thoughts, closing her eyes.

When she opened her eyes again, Kyran was standing beside the railing. She surveyed him and breathed out a long breath that she had not noticed she was holding. This was taking a lot out of him, he truly was scared. When Yona thought of how it would be with her in his shoes, she didn't quite get the same fear emotions, relying more on anger to solve the problem of dealing with her own fears. In this moment, Kyran just needed her to listen. She wasn't there to solve the problem alone, to be the white knight, to take on the world for him. He just needed her to be there for when the meatbags hit the fan. Yona felt like she was wearing some sort of costume, a friend costume, uncertain as to what a real friend would do in this situation given that she had few friends before Onyx Moon and was still only terribly close with a couple of the other members, Key included. "You're really bad at this. You're almost as much demon as I am. Isn't friendship the basis of you mortals' lives?" Ketsueki drawled, hissing through his fanged teeth. Yona clenched her hands and strode over quietly to Kyran, watching the clouds around them as the darkening sky flew past and the airship sailed on. Maybe friends didn't always have to speak or touch or do anything to show support. Maybe just being there was enough right now.

WC: 1252+1311= 2563

Kyran looked down at Yona tracing a path across the map. It was possible this entire thing could be made into a stealth mission. There was nothing forcing them to take the violent route. Ahriman growled, prowling to the forefront of the blood mage's mind. Except of course his demons. That and his desire to get revenge upon his brother for the years of torture. Gruen had brought this retribution down upon himself. Hopefully, the other Onyx Moon members didn't let anything escape the other black sites. He frowned at Yona's question. What was Gruen trying to accomplish with all of this research? Was he trying for a specific goal? A variety of goals? Perhaps one massive plan that would be unknowable until the final moment?

"I couldn't tell you what he's making in there. Only what I've seen. Gruen used a small village as a testing ground out on Tolgalen. A massive crystalline creature resided beneath the place. It took control of the hearts and minds of the villagers. Gruen had one of its babies bound to it's life force to control it. My daughter carried it around until Gruen forced me to kill it. That was only a simple trap to get me under his control." Kyran tapped the map. "Whatever is being made in here is probably more dangerous and combat ready. There will be no telling what we'll be up against until we get in there." Which again brought to mind, what was the purpose of these black sites beyond illegal experimentation? Gruen never did anything some greater reason behind it. His mind was always scheming.

Yona's complaints brought Kyran from his dark thoughts. He chuckled softly at her expression. Gently, Kyran touched her hand. Waiting until she agreed to his request, he explained why he'd asked for such a thing. "I know its your life to risk. I appreciate that you are risking it for me, and my family. I'm sure you're rather more powerful than I am, given my tendency to hide away." Kyran cleared his throat looking down at her hands. They seemed small in comparison to his own. The calluses and little nicks on his hands made them seem rough next to her hands. He wanted to place their hands together again once this ordeal was over. "I'm asking you to run because you are family too. To rescue one family member, only to lose another in the process isn't a victory at all for me. I want all of my family to come out the other side of this intact, Briar. That's why I'm asking for something so unreasonable." The blood mage kept contact for a moment before pulling away. He cleared his throat heavily before returning to his briefing.

Yona's quiet presence did wonders for Kyran's state of mind. His fear receded, his thoughts focused. Malinda's attempts to seize his body were easily rebuffed. The other demons seemed to know better than to try. It was peaceful, the tranquil moment before the storm hit. It was needed. Kyran rode the razor's edge between sanity and madness. As the island came into view, an ugly squat building marring its surface, Kyran turned toward Yona. "Do you have a means of flying, or reaching the ground safely from this height?" It was too difficult to try and get the ship close to the facility. That would be asking for trouble. It was heavily guarded and there was little doubt there was anti air equipment. Even at this height, there was a risk of Gruen detecting them and sending forces. Depending on Yona's answer, Kyran waved a hand. If she had a means of flying, a rack of weapons and armor rose from the depths. "Suit up" He said simply turning to watch the facility. Otherwise a stairway formed leading down into the darkness of the hull. "Take the stairs and get into the pod at the bottom. It'll deliver you to our entry point." He instructed, watching her follow his orders before looking back at the facility.

The black flying ship came to a halt above the facility. They were three thousand five hundred meters above the ugly thing. Anyone looking up would only see a bird sized shape. Any magic peering up wouldn't reach this high. Not even Gruen had a H or higher ranked mage in his employ. The few S ranked mages Kyran had found working for him were elsewhere tonight. Potentially nothing to worry about. This was Gruen however. There was no telling the little things that he'd thought up for his illegal ventures. Case in point, as Kyran waited for either the pod to launch or Yona to finish gearing up, blue crystals slammed into the deck of the ship.

There were four of them. After hitting the deck, they chittered wildly. Legs popped from the sides and crystal lids slid upward to reveal glowing purple eyes. Kyran reached for his magic. The creatures stilled, each honing in on the blood mage. He hastily released the magic. "Don't use magic." He murmured, hoping Yona could hear him. If she needed the pod, it didn't function after the attack. The ship went into defensive mode until intruders were thrown off or killed. There was an uneasy feeling in his stomach. Gruen's favorite fairy tail was that of the magic eaters. They were insect like beings that could barely see but had an intense magic sensory ability. Even drawing upon magic drew their attention. If they got their pincers into a mage, the story said it took only seconds to drain them of their magic - usually preventing them from ever using magic again. These things with their six legs, hyper attention to magic and dull purple eyes seemed too similar to be a coincidence.

How had they gotten on the ship? Kyran glanced upward to see a massive shadow sliding away into a storm cloud several hundred meters off their bow. He shivered wondering just what monstrosity Gruen had managed to cook up. The 'magic eaters' skittered around the deck. They appeared to be searching for something. Or sensing something anyways. His eyes widened. The lacrima in the generators keeping them aloft. They would lightly pulse with magic in order to keep them afloat. The 'magic eaters' must be searching for the source. However, without a constant magic 'beacon' so to speak to lead them, they were wandering aimlessly.

"Briar, use a slow burn spell two draw the two on the left. Don't touch them with any magic though. I'll take the two on the right." Kyran instructed his partner hoping she was going to listen to him. They'd have to work together for these opponents to be overcome. The blood mage called up his Blood Morph spell. He timed it to be as close to Yona's spell activation as possible. As he hoped, the four creatures stopped. They split into two even groups to come at the mages. Kyran drew them back, back, back. He kept retreating until there wasn't any room left to retreat. The creatures chittered, drawn by his magic. They seemed starstruck by it. Perhaps Gruen had keyed them into his particular brand of magic. That would be unfortunate. There was something new in his repertoire though. A magic he hadn't used very often to date.

There was no telling if this magic would actually work against the Magic eaters. [color:41ca=goldUse it anyway, idiot. Better to try and fail in this case. Gruen won't give you a better chance to test it. Medea hissed at him. She was irritated by his hesitation. Fair enough. He extinguish his prepared Blood Morph. Instead, Kyran drew a dagger from his palm. The hilt was made of two black bat wings which curled up around the blade. The magic eaters hurried forward. They were hungry now. They wanted this new magic that was presented. Kyran went to work. He danced among his foes, slicing them to bits with Azrael's dagger. They shrieked and wailed, rotting away with every slice. Azrael didn't like these things apparently. Once they lay dead at his feet, Kyran kicked the corpses off his ship.

The blood mage turned back toward Yona. "Dispose of those over the side and follow me in. Stick close. We don't know what they have to throw at us." Kyran said before leaping over the side. He clutched the dagger in his hand, wanting some defense against anything that might fly into his face. Not that he could see. The wind was forcing his eyes shut as he hurtled toward the earth. Kyran had to admit he loved this feeling. There was nothing quite like it in all of Fiore. Now as his goal came rushing toward him rapidly, the blood mage pulled his thoughts together. From here on out, things could only be about the mission. Otherwise they were doomed to fail.

WC: 1485
TWC: 3,550
6,113/18,000

The plant mage was taken in by her friend, her hand resting in his lightly. He had seen her look, she was sure of it, and she was awaiting a firm scolding or an irrefusable plea for her to listen to him. He surprised her somewhat when he called her family, her cheeks flushing a bright red. Of course, she had thought of him as her closest friend, besides her mentor, but family? The red flush was of shame, though hopefully her surprised visage hid the true feelings she felt. She was betraying her family to the MindReaver then. Briar made up her mind to tell him when all of this was over. "When it comes to risking my life for you, I will do my best to only take calculated risks. That's as close as you'll get out of me," She smiled at him.

After a time, Briar saw the sky reveal a small building. The dank establishment grew as they got closer and Briar kept the silent even attitude she knew was needed for this moment. When Key looked at her and asked if she could fly, the woman blinked at him. "Not since the last time I tried to.." She gave a half smile, remembering how he had opened his wings, grabbed her falling body, and soared them both to safety. "Ketsueki can but I don't dare bring him out unless necessary today." When he mentioned the handy pod nearby, Briar relaxed and headed for the stairs. She stepped down them carefully, lifting her stone blue hood over her long hair, shrouding her face with a half mask that blocked out noxious vapors. She slid open the door of the pod and nestled into the seat, feeling the hard thud as something struck the ship from outside. Briar tried to close the door and hurry, not wanting to leave Kyran out falling through the sky on his own, but the door would not budge. The magic within the ship had gone into protective mode and she was left sitting here. Briar slid her hand over the ship's wall and drew out a long thin blade, curved and sharp, despite that it was wholly made from the magic of plants and the strength of earth.

"Miles?" she called out, remembering his secret identity and climbing back up the stairs and onto the deck. At first there was no reply, and the green haired mage saw strange crystalline creatures. They had legs like insects and Briar held up her blade as she decided what to do. Kyran was close enough that she caught sight of him nearby, telling her not to use magic on the creatures. He drew two of the creatures away using magic as an obvious lure, and it didn't take long for them to notice Briar and her magical blade weapon. "Ah damn it," She cursed. "Not like I have other things!" It was sadly true. She carried a couple of vials of powerful poison, drawn up from plants and created in her lab as a hybrid from a lethal krait in Sol's possession. Briar's repertoire was magic and she knew her weakness was in... not using it. She had never feared before, capable enough with martial arts that she could defend herself if needed without spells, but creatures like these were not going to have punchable sternums and stompable insteps. Ketsueki's voice came to mind, "Well I don't need magic. My claws can rend them for you~" Briar frowned, "Go to hell, demon. I'll give you your turn out here when there isn't a hostage at risk." "You can trust me, I just want to help~ Pop off the heads and snap off the legs and those things will be dead, dead, deaddd~" Ketsueki sang, counting off on his clawed fingertips, slinking around in her head. The two crystalline insects approached her and she backed away.

Arguing was flaring up her own magical aura, catching their attention. It was what Briar had wanted to do, but also, she had no better plan yet. Ketsueki was far too eager to join Key and her in battle, and since he had access to her mind, he knew both her and Kyran's cover names and real names. She didn't like the unknown variable of using Ketsueki out here with so much at stake. One of the magic insects darted at her and Briar leaped backward shaking her blade of thorns at it. Kyran had said not to use magic, and she wasn't going to ignore that keen advice. Still, short of letting a demon loose, what was there for her to do. The two insects were heading her way, backing her across the deck in a ridiculous fashion: Briar stepped back one, the insects marched forward one. One of the insects lunged forward, breaking the pattern and swiping at her with a sharp crystal leg. Briar lifted her blade to block the strike; the weapon did so but was instantly vaporized after. Her eyes went wide and her sophisticated voice arced into a higher pitch, "No damn way.."

The insect paused and grew in size, the legs and body enlarging, clearly having absorbed her spell-begotten blade. Briar took a breath, flexing her empty hand. She raced over the deck, moving almost halfway across the ship with the large insect in tow and assumably the smaller one close by. She tripped over a plank of wood or something in the deck and dropped to her knees. Instantly, her thoughts ran to, well now I have become a threat to this whole mission. Her head snapped back and the hood fell from her hair as she took in the sight of a massive weapons rack rising from the deck. "Why the hell didn't you mention we had something like this!?" Briar burst out, speaking to Kyran whether or not he could see or hear her. Ketsueki was cackling away, "Well, you have weapons now. Shame I wasn't involved, but still seeing you fall on your ass was good for me." "Oh shut up!" Briar shouted aloud, getting to her feet. She dashed for the nearest longsword, barely even looking at the weapon before turning to slash with it. The metal hit the crystal leg of the large insect. It broke off and the creature lilted to its side.

The plant mage took advantage of this fully, spinning her body, pivoting on her left foot to use her momentum to drive the crystal insect downward with the force of her sword. The sword stabbed twice more at the head of the insect until it was lopped off. The second, smaller crystal insect crawled up over the corpse of its companion without hesitation. Higher off the deck than Briar was, it was able to swing its legs like farmers' scythes, attempting to give her the same fate as the first insect she killed. Briar intercepted a swing, with the blade and threw the creature off balance. She drove upwards with the longsword, stabbing it through the belly and killing it. From a short distance away, the woman caught movement. She aimed her sword again and saw Kyran holding a dagger and telling her to dispose of the bodies. Briar pushed on the large body and rolled it with great effort off the edge of the ship. By the time she had turned, she heard Kyran say to stick close and follow him.

Her faith in her friend is what made her legs move. Briar raced across the edge of the deck and swan dove after Kyran. She had no wings or flight, but there was no guarantee that the pod would still work after all that. Briar had no plans to leave Kyran to fall to the ground alone and she had no doubts he would be sure to get her to the ground safely. As she fell, she trembled. Her long green hair trailed behind her and a look over at Kyran suggested he was enjoying this miserable fall. Briar bit her lip so hard it almost bled, trying simply not to scream. Over three thousand meters was more than substantial and tears stung the corners of the woman's eyes. The only thing she was grateful for in the moment was the mask on her face, helping her to breathe regardless of the chilly high altitude. "You owe me so big for this!" She called to Kyran.

WC: 2563+1426= 3989

Kyran smiled best he could at the blush on Yona's cheeks. He hoped the blush wasn't because he'd said something wrong. That would make things awkward. He gently moved her hair away from her face after her response. "I can accept that. Just be prepared for your big brother to throw himself into danger for you" This time the mask-like face actually managed a small smile. He'd lost all his younger siblings except Masha and supposedly her twin. Masha didn't really look up to him as a big brother yet. Being able to call himself someone's big brother was nice. It felt like a rather normal thing for once.

The magic eaters absorbed almost the entirety of Kyran's attention once they appeared. He only split his attention long enough to check that Yona was alright. The little tid bit that she didn't really have the ability to fly didn't register. Not until after he dove off the side. He hoped Yona would be smart about this. Her voice in his ears made the blood mage close his eyes. Of course not. There was enough time to catch her luckily. Yet if he did it too early, Gruen's defenses would detect them. Kyran wanted to pull his hair out. They weren't going to take an easy path in that case. Yona had placed them on the more difficult one. Complaining wouldn't happen though. This wasn't the worst that could happen.

Kyran let out his wings just a little bit as they hit two thousand feet. The drag pushed him back towards Yona. A little adjustment brought him within arms reach. All the practice was paying off. Who knew being a daredevil that wanted to die would come in handy? Reaching out, Kyran tugged Yona into his chest. There were no words. Nothing could really be heard over the wind screaming in their ears anyway. He tested his wings with the added weight. It was only a little angling but he felt the difference. His wings might take the strain of slowing them down. However, they'd be in for a hard landing. There was no avoiding that. The wings would rip apart almost immediately after slowing them down.

At a thousand feet, the redhead tucked Yona securely into his grasp. This was where they would meet resistance. Like that crystal winged thing they'd just passed. It didn't notice them though from the looks of it. Ahriman growled his displeasure that they weren't pulverizing the thing. Kyran ignored the wolf as he slowly spread his wings. They slowed down gradually at first. There was greater control as they avoided several security measures. About 400 feet from the ground the wings popped open a little more. Kyran could feel the strain upon them. It wasn't a pleasant sensation whatsoever. The crystalline beings were beginning to take notice now. Not good. They weren't reacting yet though. They had some time. "The moment we hit the ground, destroy anything crystalline in the sky." Kyran shouted to Yona.

They were at 100 feet. The ground was nearly there to smash their faces in. The wings came open to their fullest extent. Kyran grit his teeth against the pain. The coat placed the strain of the wings entirely upon him. It felt as if his actual wings were being ripped off as they disintegrated into red fragments. The force of their stop had pointed their feet at the ground. Kyran landed hard, creating a small crater. His knees would not be thanking him tomorrow.

The blood mage didn't stop at a little pain. Standing swiftly, he began bringing down every crystalline creature floating in the air. They were finally registering the two mages as a threat. Those shaped with wings seemed to be a bigger threat. They were hovering in midair firing beams of magic. The others were little more than small crystals that tried to pierce the mages. They only really managed to smash themselves against Kyran's body. He ignored them after realizing they couldn't do much damage, if any at all. The blood mage trusted Yona to deal with her half of the skies.

Gruen was awful arrogant, or believed in his magic eaters way too much. This seemed like almost no security whatsoever. Magic eaters, a few fliers and flying crystals. Nothing most experienced mages couldn't take care of. It was sad really. Unless of course, this was a trap to make invaders thing security was lax. Or Gruen hadn't focused on flying creatures after solving the issue of the magic eaters. Regardless the skies around them were cleared without issue. Kyran turned toward Yona. "Don't let your guard down. There's no telling what he's got inside." He cautioned his partner.

The walls of the black site lab were intimidating. Kyran could feel the buzz of magic coming from it. Gruen wasn't even trying to hide it at this point. Perhaps because he thought no one would find this place. Or that if anyone did find it, they'd be destroyed by his creatures. They'd probably only get through this by blasting it. He didn't want to waste any mana on this task. Kyran formed several Blood Morphs. He directed them to attach to the wall and detonate themselves. The little balls of blood went eagerly about their task. "Stand back Briar and prepare for whatever comes through that hole." Kyran said as he backed away to a safe distance. At least, he thought it was a safe distance.

A small series of booms went off as the Blood Morphs exploded. They'd placed themselves close enough that a massive chunk of the wall fell outward. Kyran prepared to rush forward when crystalline tentacles reached out of the smoke. Damn it. They'd opened a hole directly into one of the enclosures. The creatures that emerged seemed to be little more than a mass of tentacles and a mouth. There was no fathoming what these things were intended for. "Kill them all!" Kyran shouted. Time to suit up.

Flames spiraled out from Kyran. The column appeared to completely consume him. When he stepped forth, an entire suit of red plate mail lined with golden filigree encased his body. It appeared as if flame now protected the blood mage's body. His hands glowed briefly and the gauntlets protecting them changed. The tips of the fingers became claws. The gauntlets themselves appeared to be made of red and white vines. Clutching the black dagger in his hand, Kyran cut an impressive figure. He walked forward, approaching the hole.

The creatures were emerging from their cage. There seemed to be five of them. If Kyran had possessed lips, they would have curled in disgust. "Not one of you will escape alive" He said raising a hand. His finger pointed at the one on the furthest reaches of the group. "Grave crimes deserve... grave punishment." Vines shot from the ground wrapping tightly around the creature. It shrieked struggling against his spell. The vines held it tightly preventing all movement. Satisfied that one was trapped, at least for the moment, Kyran turned toward the others.

"It's a pity he's twisted you beyond repair. Nothing can bring back whatever you started as." Kyran said regretfully. If he could have saved these things, he would. Tentacles shot toward him. Every one of the creatures was trying to attack him. "Tch." He dodged the tentacles, taking only one hit that spun him around. His dagger came up. "Death comes for everyone." The dagger rapidly extended, splitting into several blades. The blades pierced deep into the creature's malformed bodies. They writhed in pain. When the blades were withdrawn, the creatures all froze for a moment. Then they scrambled to get away from Kyran's armored form. The dread from the dagger was working nicely.

"Pick them off with things that don't cost too much mana." Kyran called to Yona. "It isn't work expending all our mana right off the start. There's no telling what else lies inside." A strange whistling howl could be heard upon the wind. Medea's hissing and Ahriman's perking up told Kyran it wasn't anything good. There must be more security out here. It simply wasn't in the air. He'd have to summon something to keep the extra ones off their backs.

The blood mage reached into his hunger. Drawing upon that feeling, he summoned up one of his creatures. His blood pooled into his hand before splashing upon the ground. The creature that rose was emancipated. Massive fangs hung from its mouth while limp stringy sparse hair hung from its head. Serrated claws tipped each of its thin fingers. "Wendigo! An enemy comes! Hunt them down and feast to your content!" Kyran ordered. The creature howled, shooting into the dark. That would have to do for now. The tentacle things needed to be dealt with first. Kyran looked over at Yona. How was she doing? Was she conserving her mana? Not that he could say much given the spells he'd already fired off. Either of them getting mana dep wouldn't end well in this place. It would spell death for them both.

WC: 1519
TWC: 5,069
9,058/18,000

Stats:

Briar's long forest green hair whipped behind her, as straight as an arrow as she fell from the sky. Even with her mask, she felt as if she was choking on the air. Her eyes blinked away tears the moment they appeared. This was anything but fun for her, but she supposed she should have had a plan before. Maybe that pod would have worked after all? Would she have wasted time trying to figure it out, leaving Kyran on his own? Ketsueki lifted his head and groaned, "Let me take over... I bet my wings still work..." Briar swallowed hard as she was faced with the challenging decision. That demon was not at all trustworthy but for long seconds that lasted hours, Briar considered it. The demon rubbed his eager clawed hands together, hoping she would let him out. Until Kyran pulled her to his body and held her tight. Instinctively, Briar buried her face in his chest, blocking out the wind, the pressure, and as much as she hated to admit it, the fear. She was reminded of the time they had gone into some sort of underground tomb or dungeon and his wings had saved her then from an explosive trap that she had misjudged.

She took a deep breath and shut her eyes tight. "So the little girl will run into battle, face down an army of monsters, even face a raging poison using dragon of a man... but of heights, you tremble? Tee hee hee.." Ketsueki said in her mind, taunting. Briar exhaled sharply as Kyran shouted to her, telling her to destroy the crystalline things in the sky. She nodded hard instead of shouting back, knowing he would feel it. She pulled her head up and saw Kyran gritting his teeth. For the moment, she forgot her fear, realizing that Kyran was suffering silently in an effort to make up for her lack of flying plans. The guilt she felt grew and she locked her jaw in place, deciding that for him she would keep her head up, keep her eyes alert. He was still relying on her, she reminded herself. Kyran's hard landing formed an impression in the ground where they stopped, his wings visibly torn apart and vanishing.

With some difficulty in not using magic, Yona handled her half of the skies. She had thrown almost all of her small throwing knives up into the sky, retrieving them and throwing them again. It looked a bit silly, but the magic eaters died without dealing her any damage either. She looked at Kyran and whispered in her sophisticated voice, "I won't let my guard down. You all right?" Briar stood ready as Kyran set up his magic blood morphs on the outer wall of the lab. She didn't know if exploding it was the best way in, but she trusted in all the planning and research that Kyran had to have done to make this mission a success. Her eyes looked up at the sky and around the building while Kyran remained focused on his work. Nothing appeared to be coming as back up for the creatures that she and he had eliminated.

The explosion went off and Briar turned to see a mass of tentacles and teeth. She didn't need Kyran's order to figure out that they would need to fight and decimate the monsters emerging from the lab wall. Kyran erupted into flames without much warning and Briar took several steps away, avoiding the flames and being reminded of her tragic past. She put her hands together, weaving them in a pattern as a green aura appeared around one of the monsters lumbered towards her. The creature was covered in black stain, the magical disease causing boils to appear and burst. The skin of the monster was destroyed in huge chunks, the lesions and fungus spreading until the monster stopped moving to howl in pain before falling over. Briar looked over to Kyran, taking note of his grandiose armor.

Briar took particular notice of the vine design over his gauntlets before vines burst from the ground and restrained one of the beasts. She grinned, keeping her thoughts to herself but of course, Ketsueki had something to say. "Looks like your affinity for nature rubbed off on your friend there. We do it better, show him how. Don't embarrass us... heh." The creatures seemed to be fleeing Kyran and Briar took the moment to expand her spell from before. The black lesions moved from monster to monster, covering and killing two of them in turn as the blight took hold. The smell of plant rot was in the air, a combination of graveyard soil and mold that no longer bothered Briar like it used to. Over the corpses of the beasts grew minute stems and leaves, nature and her magic not wasting whatever components they were made of.

"I'm good on mana, don't worry about me!" Briar told Kyran quickly rejoining him, standing by his side and checking his armor out. "Shiny. I liked your vines." A howl split the air and Briar looked around for the source in surprise. The fight was far from over, but she didn't see anything. Briar placed a hand on the ground, trying to use the plants in the ground to sense any nearby bodies. "That won't help much," Ketsueki scoffed and Briar watched as a frightening creature grew from the ground, a summon of Kyran's she deduced. A chill went through her spine and Ketsueki actually clapped loudly, "That's what I am talking about. I used to have a few wendigos myself back in the day. Tell him it's classic. Tell him that I like it."

Briar frowned and lifted her hands towards the final mass of tentacles, trying to wriggle away from the battle. A mass of microgametes gathered and wrapped around the creature tightly, the unfertilized seeds growing exponentially as if they had been fertilized after all. Shrouding the monster in so many roots and vines, flowers of many colors speckling the plant life like paint splatter, Briar immobilized the tentacled-beast. She drew a hand over the ground, a longsword of thorns appeared in her grasp and the mage moved towards the beast. She stabbed between the plants until a rich dark ichor oozed out, indicating the death of the creature. She wiped off the blade, cleaning it on the coffin of plants before her and looked over her shoulder at Kyran. "I'm good. Tougher than you think. I'm not holding back anything today, but I haven't used any mana yet." There was a tone of seriousness as much as there was pride and gloating over her abilities once on the ground. She might not be able to fly without the demon inside, but she could kill beasts like these with ease.

WC: 3989+1158= 5147

Kyran growled in frustration as he looked around the battlefield. They'd barely even landed. An entire room full of experiments, decimated. For what? His daughter? A girl he barely even knew had no connection to and had probably been twisted by Gruen's hand. The blood mage looked down at his gauntleted fist. What were they doing here? 'Rescuing a scared little girl. Pull yourself together, Master Kyran. Shake off that doubt. Stand high! Stand strong! There can be nothing but conviction from this point forward. Take your path. Trust the woman you brought along. Stop second-guessing every little decision you make. It's pathetic and Gaia wouldn't want to see it.'

Kyran had never heard Eae be so forceful. Perhaps it was to drive home the truth of her words. They were here for a purpose. He'd been second-guessing every step, every decision from the beginning. That was liable to get them killed. Gruen put everything behind the creation of these black sites. Dyer Industries employees had been exploited to channel money into these projects. His older brother had made sure these labs were a death trap. Gruen must be positive no one and nothing could get past his magic eaters or whatever lurched in the darkness beyond. The blood mage gave himself a hard slap. Getcha head in the game.

'Ya gotta getcha head in the game, ya gotta getcha getcha getcha head in the game! Whyyyy am I feelin' so wrooonng?! My head's in the game but my heart's in the song, she makes this feel so right~... should I go for it?' Erebos sang until he broke off cackling. Kyran decided to ignore the insane demon. It was a catchy tune though. He'd have to ask the demon about it later.

The redhead turned toward Briar, smiling widely. Well smiling as much as his current form allowed which ended up being a creepier effect than intended. "Thank you. I like the vines as well. I apologize for constantly questioning. I'm still not sure if this is the correct path to take. However, I'll step forward and see how far I go."

'I can go the distance~ I don't care how far, somehow I'll be strong~ I know eeevery mile, will be worth my while~ I would go most anywhere to feeeel like I... belongggggg~' Erebos crooned inside Kyran's head. What was up with the demon and singing today? This was supposed to be a somber event. Lots of death and killing. Fire and blood. 'Hmm perhaps that gets me in a cheery mood, host man. I sing when I'm up. Oh Bee tee dubs, anyone in your way is gonna be a... Poor Unfortunate Souls~ In pain, in need~ This one longing to be thinner, that one wants to get the girl, and do I help them?~ Yes indeed~ Those Poor Unfortunate Souls~ So sad~ So true~ They come flocking to my cauldron, Crying Spells Ursula Please~ And I help them, yes I do~ The mage decided to ignore his demon at that point. There was little need to listen to the background tracks Erebos was singing.

Kyran examined the room they'd opened into. There was opaque glass on every side obscuring their view. A small square of transparent glass was set at the top of the room. A way to look down into it perhaps? If someone had been watching when he blew the wall... well they'd have company quickly. Kyran glanced back at Briar. "I'll just knock then shall I?" The blood mage tapped the magic of his armor. A dome of fire erupted around him briefly. It only appeared for a few seconds but that was enough to melt the sides of the room. Alarms began to blare through the building. Kyran's demons moved excitedly through his mind. They were about to fight. Kyran had promised to go all out for this. So long as he didn't overdo it, the blood mage planned to drop everything on Gruen's head.

"Be prepared for anything, Briar. It seems that crystals were the theme of this lab. We should expect lots of crystalline creations." As if to prove his point, several light pink crystals whizzed past his head. Kyran rolled away from the attack. Something hissed and blue gas filled the area to his left. The hell was that? Probably best not to touch it. Several more crystals slammed into the floor near him. Damn. Why couldn't he see anyone? Cloaking magic? Kyran backed toward the hole in the wall. Hopefully, Briar could deal with this issue. It was well out of his league. The redhead was a little too used to upfront and forward fights. "I can't see anything until they attack Briar and I can only see their attacks. Do you have an idea of how to deal with this? Maybe tracking magic or some such?" Kyran asked her, his eyes darting around the room. There was no sign of their attackers. Nothing to indicate their presence whatsoever.

WC: 833
Total: 5,902
11,049/18,000

stats:

Yona understood the fine line between stealth and keeping your identity hidden. There was no need to have both, but in Onyx Moon it seemed necessary to protect not only herself but the people in the guild. Her recollection of the MindReaver, still out there somewhere, had made her even warier so despite that she was wearing an impeccable disguise, becoming Briar and leaving Yona behind, her hands had reached back to pull the hood back atop her dark green hair. Kyran, as Miles, gave a disturbing grin and she had to remember that this was indeed her friend, for at that moment, his smile was creepy enough to make her think twice. She sensed his new doubts and placed her hands on her hips, still holding her plant blade cautiously pointed away from herself.

"There is no more time for your apologies or doubts, friend. There is too much at stake so you need to be confident in your choices and stand by them. We must keep moving forward together; any hesitation or doubts could bring about our failure here if this Gruen is as dangerous as you make him seem." She peered at Kyran from beneath her hood, emanating a silent confidence in him as well as hoping that he would find the power in her words encouraging and driving. Briar followed him into the room that he had blasted open. The strangely opaque glass was everywhere, except for the small square overhead. Briar had the same idea as Kyran, without sharing it openly, that someone had been using it to keep watch on this room. She squinted up at the square as Kyran filled the area with fire, and she was forced to close her eyes. The heat was intense, but not painful, as it was not intended to do her any harm.

When the glass walls melted down and alarms blared through the building, Briar felt a sickening drop in her stomach. Thus far, the two had been as careful as possible to not alert anyone of their presence. Kyran's move was reckless and she wondered if he was too close to this issue to be as rational as he should be. Briar heard Kyran's warning and she looked back up at the glass above her head. It still seemed best if they were somewhat stealthy, but they both couldn't be at this rate. Briar saw the pink crystals soar into the room and several more zipping in behind them. A blue gas began filling the room, blinding them somewhat. So far, Briar had not moved, and so she had to deduce that the square above was exactly where she had last seen it.

Melted glass had coated the edges of the floor and it was going to have to do, she thought. She counted her paces, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Upon reaching the place where the glass had melted into long room length strands, Briar touched the glass. It transformed with her will from the melted glass into an impressive ladder. She carried it back with her, dragging it half on the floor. A pink crystal slammed into her shoulder before buzzing away, and another crashed just in front of her feet. She focused on counting to get back to her original place. "Just hold on," Briar called out, "I'm working on something right now. If it gets too bad, find your way back outside." She had no idea if this was even going to work. The gas mask inside of her Onyx Moon mask was filtering out anything harmful, so she wasn't sure if the gas was poison or not. At best, she knew she couldn't see.

Briar placed the ladder by her feet and swung wildly around herself with her plant-based blade. She heard it strike something, felt the tremor in her hand as it hit the blade, and heard the sound of the crystal falling to the floor. Randomly fighting was not going to be effective but she wanted to clear the area around her somewhat if it was possible. She called upon her strength and the strength of Ketsueki, then speared her blade upwards. She listened for the sound and was grateful to hear the sound of broken glass. The small square window had shattered above and rained down fragments. Briar hoisted up the ladder and placed it carefully. Mostly it was a guessing game and she had her fingers crossed that her measurements and prior counting had made it so that the ladder would be resting where the window had been. She hastily started to climb and about halfway up another crystal slammed into her, landing hard against her back. Briar cried out and then quickly said, "I'm fine, I'm fine. Just give me.. a second.. I'll stop this."

Briar knew she had to hurry. She rushed up the ladder, feeling it swaying and bowing beneath her lightweight. She climbed into the ceiling and was even more relieved to find that the gas was not up this high and she could see. Briar glimpsed a figure in the corner standing there with a mask of his or her own on. "Hey! Stop where you are!" Briar lifted her hands to start a spell but the figure seemed to shift back and forth in place before bolting through a wall. When Briar raced after him or her, she saw that they had gone through a small door in the wall which blended in quite perfectly into the steel framework. Where they had stood was a rotating wheel with pictures along the side. They seemed to indicate a closed position, half-open, and fully open position. There was a final picture with an odd symbol she couldn't understand but she could figure out that the wheel was turned to the open position. Briar grabbed onto the wheel and spun it closed until she heard the hissing of a gas stop.

Briar dashed back to where the ladder still stood and gazed down into a room where four more crystals still buzzed around Kyran. "Miles, I fixed it. The gas should clear out soon. Also, there is no gas up here, if you want to come up." She looked over her shoulder toward the small door. It made sense to trust that Kyran could handle this and go after that figure before they caused more problems or before they reached Gruen himself if he was here. She bit her lip hesitating, and then called down, "There's a door up here. I have to catch up with the person who turned the gas on. You be safe and take care, and... catch up soon?" She hated leaving Kyran behind as she pulled herself back up and moved for the door.

"Leaving him to his death? Leaving him so that he is on his own?" Ketsueki chirruped, "Not something I thought a do-gooder like you would do." Briar snatched the plant blade from the ceiling floor, where it had to have landed earlier, and went through the door. "He'll be fine. I've known him long enough. He can care for himself completely." Briar didn't have much faith in her own words and Ketsueki laughed inside of her head, feeling her insecurities. It wasn't that she didn't trust Key, it was that she didn't trust this Gruen. She didn't trust all these people who seemed to be after her friend. She didn't trust their manipulations and plans and right now, she wished she could turn back to stay with Key and ensure his survival. But it was as she had told him earlier... there was no time for hesitations anymore.

WC: 5147+1297= 6444

Miles noticed Briar working on something with the glass. More crystals were firing from the cloud. These guys were smart. The gas kept him from accurately aiming at them. The gas was likely also dangerous in some way. Moving around in the background would keep them from aiming at him. However, the trade-off would be Briar taking hits. Miles spread his arms out. Time to back up his partner.

Magic gathered in his free hand. The other swept out with the dagger. Multiple blades shot out spearing into the gas. Yelps echoed out from its depths. A ferocious smile spread across Miles' lipless mouth. Blood dripped from a ball in his hand. He tossed it into the gas at the nearest sound of pain. Briar seemed to be on her way back. That summons should keep these attackers busy. The shadow of a humanoid shape rose from where he'd thrown the ball. Screams soon followed its appearance. Miles hovered near the edge of the cloud. His pacing was interrupted by the encroaching blue gas and periodic attacks by pink crystals. His teeth gnashed together. This gas kept him from doing anything.

Miles checked over his shoulder. A sound had drawn his attention. Briar had been knocked off her ladder. A howl built in his throat. Only her assertion she was fine kept him from going berserk. Rational thought was rapidly fleeing from his mind. The gas was driving him insane. As Briar disappeared into the ceiling, Miles lost his reason to stay out of the gas. The demonic figure plunged onwards. The cries of pain drew him onward. A shape flashed by him. He could barely make it out. However, his hand flashed outward. A cry of pain rewarded his actions. Miles laughed. The sound was music to his ears.  

Prey didn't last long in the hands of a demon. The poor human was ripped to shreds. Miles used a combination of dagger and claws to do the deed. Blood splattered upon his chest. It coated his hands. He looked like something from a nightmare. Briar's voice brought him partially back to the present. The gas would clear soon. Good. Then he could hunt the others. Throwing back his head, Miles let loose an otherworldly cry. It was a summons to all his creatures. They would devour these weaklings.

The emancipated creature- his Wendigo - appeared first. The creature was dripping blood. Miles sneered. That had better be the blood of its enemies. Another humanoid appeared with the gas. His Stikini with a human dangling in its grasp. There was something odd about its hand. Miles paid it no mind. All that mattered was the hunt. The gas was dissipating. As it thinned, other shapes were becoming clear. Miles raised his hand, ready to release his beasts.  

As the gas cleared entirely, Miles' mind also cleared. The humanoid shapes became clear. Some were nothing more than shapes. The others were crystalline beings. Their arms ended in hollow tubes. Probably the source of the pink crystals. Were these Gruen's caretakers or his enforcers? Miles lowered his hand. The Stikini and the Wendigo shot forward. Their strikes cause the crystalline creatures to scream. Miles watched the fight from afar. Both his summons had this handled. The creatures were only intimidating when you couldn't see or hit them. The one that broke past his summons was swiftly dealt with.

That situation didn't need to hold him up. Miles moved to the hole Briar called from. "Briar?" He called up, unsure if she was still there. "If you're still up there, I'm going to explore down here. We'll meet up down the line." He rubbed his chin with a clawed hand. "Be careful, Briar. Take care of yourself or I'm coming to drag your ass outta here." With that, the Onyx Moon warrior turned to his exploration. Gruen had left a veritable mess for him to find. Miles planned on finding it and burning it to the ground. A snap of his fingers sent his summons running. Miles took one last look up at the hole. Then he ran after the two monstrosities.

WC: 690
TWC: 6,892
13,336/18,000

Stuff:

As Miles ran onward, chasing his two summons, Briar herself would be racing after her own target. The green haired mage had no idea where this tunnel might lead. She didn't know how long it was, and considering how dark the tight hidden hallway was, Briar suspected this space wasn't the only one of its kind in this building. If Gruen was clever, she had no doubt the place was full of tunnels, escape routes and ambush paths boring through the walls and ceilings like termite channels in wood. What a fitting thought that was, comparing these enemies to voracious insects. The mage would squash them and destroy them for all they had done to Key and his child after all this time. "Squish squash.. squish squash... blood between... my toeses...~" Ketsueki sang and clapped to his own warped melody in her mind. It distracted Briar and she clenched her jaw annoyedly.

Her hands stretched outwards before her, trying to figure out where the tunnel ended before running into a dead end or a wall. The sound of heavy breathing from ahead told her at least whoever she was chasing was not very far ahead of her own pacing. It was excellent that she had caught up. The tunnel smelled of dust and chemicals. Her nose stung with the pungent sharp odor and Briar assumed she must have passed over or near to some more individual laboratories or chemical storage areas. A loud deranged growl made her jump and stumble. She touched the wall for stability and kept on running forward. The sound echoed in the tunnel like the cross between a dying monkey and a rabid duck. It was more than horrifying and she didn't want to see where such an unnatural sound had come from. Briar knew it was probably some large experimental monster that she wanted nothing to do with. Her job was to help find the girl and get her out, even if Key's job was to eliminate everything in his path. Briar had nothing against his plan, but she had priorities and a more level head when it came to Gruen and this whole situation.

The demented howling had been loud enough to distract her momentarily. While her feet kept pounding through this dark endless hall of horrors, the green haired mage hadn't noticed the heavy breathing and footsteps ahead of her had stopped. She wouldn't have known if the howling had been part of the plan to do just that, but the force of a hefty metallic fist slammed into her chest. Briar fell backwards, completely caught off balance. Her lower ribs were cracked if not broken and she gasped for the air to breathe. Briar looked frantically about, trying to see where the hit had come from when the metallic fist drove down into her torso again, hitting her in the collarbone. She cried out, mostly in surprise- though the pain of a cold hard piece of metal was undeniable. The third strike rained down but this time Briar managed to roll to the side and avoid it. Ketsueki gave her the power she needed in that moment... her nails transforming into claws.

The claws shot out like the roots of a tree, dark and sharp and black, stabbing out into the plunging darkness. Briar felt them pierce the flesh of something and Ketsueki crooned. "Delicious delicious... blood...~" Briar got to her feet and said, "Give me your eyes, demon." "Won't you say the magic word?" He returned bemused. Her claws retracted and the metal force slammed into her side, grazing her shoulder and cutting her skin. She growled, "Damn it, Ketsu! Give me your eyes!" She could practically feel him rolling his eyes before granting her his demonic vision. Dark turned to light, color vanished leaving her in a world of black, white and grey tones. Before her stood a masked figure with, as she suspected, a prosthetic metal arm. It was an alarming contraption, looking almost identical to a normal humanoid arm, but with metal hinges, hollow tubing, and tiny crystals implanted within it. The arm made a lot of sense to her: the crystals acted as a defense and offense against magical attacks because they worked the same way as the crystalline monsters that Briar had already dealt with.

The mask on the figure was mammalian in nature, a sort of grotesque yet artistic depiction of a bat with fangs and slanted eyes. A hooded dark cloak shrouded the figure's form well enough that she could not determine if they were male or female. Briar rubbed her aching collarbone and dodged a punch aimed her way. "Who are you?" Briar demanded. The figure didn't reply and Briar hadn't expected them to. She just hoped if there was a way to get information about this place, the figure might trade that information for sparing their life. It would seem not however. Holes and wet splotches on the front of the attacker's clothing confirmed that Briar's claw strike had landed and to her advantage, their drained blood empowered Ketsueki further. A massive aura manifested around the green haired mage as she cast another spell; vines of a plant, but red and full of the powerful scent of blood, the aura-tendrils lashed out at the bat masked figure. The tendrils that struck dealt significant damage and ensnared their victim to boot. They wrapped around the legs and arms of the bat and Briar pointed a dark claw at the figure.

"You have already lost this battle. Give up what I want to know and I shall spare your life. This is your last chance." Briar's voice was crisp and cold, deliberately firm to instill how serious she was about this offer. Ketsueki on the other hand was antsy, driven to attack, shaking with the bloodlust in his heart. It took strength to hold him back for the few seconds while the masked figure decided. Or at least, that was what she thought they were doing. The metallic arm suddenly broke through the magical aura tendril and with a few well placed punches, it had taken out the rest of the tendrils as well. It took very little time for them to destroy her spell and free the bat. "I am not so easy to break down," came a deep feminine voice. Briar hoped that Kyran was doing a bit better. He had been right telling her not to underestimate this place.

WC: 6444+1092= 7536

We're following the leader, the leader, the leader! We're following the leader, wherever he may go. Erebus sang, whistling as he finished. The other demons cackled at the mischievous one's antics. Miles even opened his mouth in a facsimile of a grin. This was fun. They were hunting down Gruen's creatures. Wrecking his brother's work. All in secondary to rescuing his daughter. The demons were behaving themselves - for the most part. He'd unleash them when the time came. No need to hold back. Gruen would fall.

The first sign of trouble was the Stikini halting in the doorway. The Wendigo had charged straight ahead. Miles slowed, pausing beside his monster. Kill! Kill! Kill! Blood! BLOOD! Ahriman howled, slamming against the sides of Miles' mind. The Onyx Moon member ignored his demon. He placed a hand on the owl monster. It was shaking. Whatever was in the room ahead terrified his beast. He's absolutely brimming with power... Malinda purred suddenly. Erebos broke into another song. "Poor unfortunate souls, so sad, so blue. They come flocking to my cauldron, crying spells Ursula please! and I help them! Yes, I do." Where did the demon come up with these kooky songs?

A roar echoed through the room ahead. Miles peered into the door frame. The portal was filled with a wall of writhing darkness. It was impossible to see anything. The Stikini shrank back from the doorway. Miles frowned. Reaching back, he grasped the feathers of the monster and heaved it through the doorway. His armor clanked as the monstrosity followed after. The room was large and circular. Unlike the corridor they'd just been in, it was well lit. It was nearly empty, boasting only a singular table in the center of the room. Everything else was white and smooth. Miles knelt down, splaying his fingers against the floor. More crystal. What had scared the Stikini?

A crunch drew his gaze. His Wendigo was being eaten. By what, Miles couldn't even label it with a name. A crocodilian mouth chewed on the Wendigo. Below it, on a wide expanse of flesh, was a leonian mouth. Its teeth were bared in a feral growl. The flesh above the first mouth was littered with eyes. Four strong arms supported the weight of the upper body. Miles could barely make out a lack of lower limbs. This thing was crawling about on a long tail. The tail was whip-thin near the end. Miles would bet it was a stinger filled with poison. Whether it was merely paralytic or something more dangerous remained to be seen.

The creature finished with its meal. Several of the eyes lazily watched the newcomers. Miles held himself still. What to do... this thing was pretty powerful having easily taken down one of his spells and thoroughly frightening the other. Bait, hostie. Use some bait. Can't catch fish without some bait. Medea hissed in his ear. Miles clicked his teeth together. More of the creature's eyes flashed to him. Its lethargy seemed gone within an instant. It was coiled to attack with the slightest provocation. Miles carefully wrapped his fingers into the Stikini's feathers. One powerful move sent the bird thing rocketing upward. That motion caused the monster to squawk loudly. Its wings flapped clumsily to keep it in the air.

The monster roared with both its mouths. Giant butterfly wings - if you could call those flesh bags that - snapped outward. A few flaps brought it toward the Stikini. The thing was so terrified it had ceased moving. Assumptions will get you killed, master. Look again. Eae murmured in his ear. Miles looked closely at his summons. No, the angel was right. It was frozen stiff but not from fear. The monster had hit it with a spell. It was probably how it had snagged the Wendigo as well.

That was quite enough. Miles snapped his fingers. Vines burst from the ground beneath the monster. Despite expectations, the monster dodged. It could apparently move its bulk rather well. Miles summoned up the Morph and his Black Spirit. Their assistance would be needed. The Spirit sank into Miles' chest. The Morph transformed into beams of light. Miles directed those beams at the monster. Once again, it moved quickly, avoiding most of the attacks. Two did manage to strike but the monster didn't seem to notice. Not only moves fast but has a thick hide as well. I'm getting excited. Medea purred, kneading her claws into Miles' brain.

Formidable had to be the creature's main purpose. Why weren't there more of these things slithering or flying around? Gruen could conquer a fair amount of Fiore with them. They might even be a match for Wizard Saints if they were engineered to face each individually. A glint of green caught Miles' eye. The table in the center of the room hosted a single green lacrima. The power radiating from it called to Miles. Perhaps this was what kept Gruen from producing more. The twinkling of the lacrima became hypnotic. Miles started toward the table without realizing it. His free hand stretched outward.

Master, look out! Miles' gaze snapped upward. The creature descended with ungodly speed. There wasn't enough time. Miles dropped to the floor. Even with his speed, the creature managed to clip him with its arm. A bruise immediately blossomed on his side. The area felt numb. Miles knew he'd regret that stunt in the morning. "It's protecting the lacrima. I'll bet the lacrima was used to make it too." Miles mused, rolling to his feet. Would destroying the lacrima beat the creature as well? He contemplated his spells quickly. His mana was already depleting too quickly. Still, this enemy was too great to defeat with his current roster.

The demons clamored to be allowed to fight. Miles chuckled softly at their pleading. This was not the time for them. His shoulder shimmered, a circle forming over it. The circle floated in place with a large picture of a crumbling angel wing prominently shown in the middle. The monster was turning lazily in mid-air. It didn't think he was a threat! That was a mistake. Miles would demolish it. "Stikini, Attack!" Miles ordered brusquely. At the same time, his arm swung down. The dagger in his hand split into multiple blades. They screamed toward the monstrosity. From the other side, the Stikini unleashed a blade of wind. Then it vanished in a puff of smoke.

The monster yawned. Yawned! Without effort, the creature dodged most of the blades. The wind blade caught it in the side, barely leaving a scratch. When the stikini reappeared, a blade of shadows caught it once again. No mark to be seen from the attack. A low chuffing noise came from the creature's throat. It was laughing now. Miles clicked his teeth together in irritation. His next attack had already been launched. This would teach the bastard.

The creature reached for the Stikini. As to be expected of the thing. Fire erupted around the creature. It recoiled in surprise allowing the summons to escape. Miles opened up the next part of his plan. Beings of pure flame stepped from gates surrounding the monster. A vortex of fire grew steadily around it. Miles could see its skin beginning to blister. He would have grinned in triumph had he been able. That taste of victory rapidly turned to dust in his mouth.

Inside the flaming vortex, the creature was morphing. It was getting bigger. Scales stood out on its skin. A second set of 'wings' popped from its back. The tail split, becoming two deadly weapons instead of one. Claws popped from the ends of each finger. Horns popped out atop its head, spiraling toward the sky. Worst of all, it had mouths on its hands. Mouths that spit forth tiny clones of this monstrosity. Most were being burned away by the flames. Some were escaping, however, growing rapidly in size as they descended on Miles.

The Onyx Moon warrior fired several black motes at the creatures. Those were followed by purple orbs. The resulting explosions wiped out some of the newborn monsters. Not enough though. Miles as rammed in the chest by one of the babies. He flew backward onto the table. The lacrima pressed into his flesh. Above him, the original monster keened toward the sky. All Miles knew was pain. The lacrima seared his flesh, worming its way inward. His demons cried out in fear. Apparently they recognized the power. All Miles could do for several seconds was writhe. Once he could move his mouth fell open. From his mouth, a bloodcurdling scream emerged. The scream echoed through the facility. Winds suddenly rose within the walls. Deep within the fortress laboratory, a bespeckled man grinned chillingly.

"So it begins..." Then he laughed before vanishing into the shadows.

WC: 1472
TWC: 8,364
16,008/18,000

stuff:

Briar stared the figure down then, a mutual understanding between them. Neither would underestimate the other, given that it was clear that they both had abilities that the other would be unable to predict. Briar, with her demon advantage, and this bat masked female with her metal prosthetic arm. "That's fine," Briar finally replied, "I like a challenge, don't you?" She cracked her knuckles, not for intimidation value but out of a need to stretch her arms and hands out before the ensuing battle. "You won't be a challenge," came the deep feminine answer from behind the bat mask. Briar shook her head, her long dark green hair splashing around her shoulders as she tried to soothe the pain in her collar. There didn't seem like there would be a need to converse any more.

Briar launched herself forward, impatient as always to finish and continue on her real mission. The dark tunnel was an inconvenience given the lack of nature present. Briar could usually get inside of a person's head and interrupt a battle with ease, but with that mask in the way, the mage knew that it wasn't a real option at this time. Ketsueki's power had given her razor sharp claws and she slashed them at the figure's chest. Her arms moved like a windmill, and each slash forced the figure to block and take a defensive position. Briar didn't stop, using the seemingly reckless attack to keep the figure on the defensive. Briar ducked under a sudden return punch from that prosthetic metal arm and kicked her leg outwards. The plant mage had expected to topple the bat-masked woman over but her leg hit a wall instead. From above, a powerful and sharp pain exploded on the back of her head. The force knocked Briar flat onto her stomach and her eyes flicked up to see the metal elbow driving downwards again.

Briar rolled quickly and swiped her feet like a huge paper fan, this time slamming into the figure's legs properly. When the bat masked figure fell backwards, Briar sprang forwards with her claws out, landing on top of them. She straddled the target's waist and slashed into the chest swiftly with one hand, aiming to tear off the mask with her other hand. The bat mask peeled off the face, revealing the face of a woman, sort-of. Briar stared in surprise, seeing the woman had two sets of eyes, the second set upon her arched cheek bones. Additionally, there were tufts of black fur below her chin and down her neck and triangular carnivorous teeth in her mouth. "What... are you?" Briar exclaimed. The hesitation cost Briar as the prosthetic arm thrusted upwards punching into her chest. The movement left the guild mage gasping as she felt the ribs crack again, confirming that if they weren't broken before several of them were broken now. The non-prosthetic hand of her enemy gripped Briar's throat and shoved her backwards into the wall of the tunnel. Briar didn't fight, shifting her eyes up to gaze at the four eyes glowering down. "I'll allow you to know the name of the one who bested you." The grip tightened and Briar reached for her neck, trying to pry the hand off. It had as much strength as Ketsueki possessed. "I am Sival."

Drawing on her bloodline allure and Ketsueki's demonic charm, Briar's eyes focused on the eyes of Sival. "Release me," Briar demanded, and the hand complied. "Step back, now," Briar gasped out, taking deep breaths, touching her neck. She was getting her breath back now that it seemed her powers were working. She had established control over the bat-masked figure for now. It was an ability she rarely used, given that she hated how it had been used on her. Desperate times called for desperate measures. "Great, and now I can devour her..." Ketsueki hummed. Briar shook her head and let out a grunt as her ribs protested her moving at all. A loud scream burst through the tunnels, coming from who knows where as the echo within prevented her from figuring that out. She looked to each side and then let out another command, "Sit down and do not move." To Ketsueki, Briar snarled, "No time for your games. We have a job to do and Kyran is in trouble." With effort, Briar bent down, forming rope like vines from the pipes on the walls with her magic.

She pulled the vine-ropes from the walls and used them to bind Sival tightly. Briar didn't have time to get information or time to let Ketsueki play with a victim. Kyran and her mission were her priority. She knotted the vines hastily and then got to her feet with shaky jerks. Her eyes squinted through the black and grey images that were her nightvision. Nowhere to go but forward, she assumed, knowing that behind her would only lead back to the room with the switches and the ladder. She determined that she would heal herself as she went, setting off at a light jog down the tunnel. Her white blood cells improved with Ketsueki's power and her wounds closed. Her bones began to stitch themselves back together in an agony she endured with gritted teeth. "I'm coming, Miles!" Briar shouted out, hoping the sound of her voice would bounce through the tunnel and come out into the room where he was at.

She ran over a grate that peeked downward into a bright room and she paused. There were huge aquariums of bubbling water but no signs of life. Briar ran onward, stopping at a second grate where she was able to see two massive vats. The black cauldrons were empty but emitted a terrible sulfuric scent; still though, no sign of monsters or men in this room. A dim light farther down the hall caught the mage's attention and she set off to the third grate in the floor. Her jog had picked up to a run and her bones no longer felt the sting of breakage, just the soreness of bruising. Sped up healing was a welcome relief in the dark. As the green-haired woman rushed forward towards the next light, she heard a soft click then the floor shifted and suddenly dropped. A latch had been triggered somewhere and the hidden door released, causing Briar to plummet downwards into a well lit room. She flailed her arms out, wishing she had wings or Kyran there to catch her. Instead she slammed into what felt like concrete. Above her, Briar could see the opened trap door and a small ladder folded up. So, this must have been the room Sival had been heading towards. How easy it would have been for her enemy to reach this location, purposefully set off the trigger, and climb through the floor, and successfully vanish without Briar knowing at all where she had gone.

Briar lay there for what felt like minutes before turning her head. The room was quite large but contained no places to really hide. A tall metal door was at the far end of the room and appeared to be the only way out. There was also a single metal desk and chair, a wall of dusty bookcases littered with texts and jars, and a row of metal cages on the opposing wall. The metal glittered and on closer inspection, Briar would have seen minute crystals within the material. It matched Sival's prosthetic arm. This could have been the office or experimental lab of Sival, or whoever created her. Briar sat up with care and then took a stand. "Now where am I? This place is a damned maze," She cursed. How was she supposed to help Kyran from here!?

WC: 7536+1320= 8856